The continued growth of interest in the study and practice of Buddhism throughout the Western world, examined by scholars such as Toms (1998), Coleman (2000) and others, is a fascinating phenomenon which warrants scrutiny. Rather than trying to account for this expansion of Buddhism worldwide, this essay is focussed on considering the contemporary relevance and significance of the Buddhist intellectual discourse for a new world ethos, in what has been termed the ‘Asian Century’.[1]